BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    






              SENATE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
                     COMMITTEE ANALYSIS
              Senator Martha M. Escutia, Chair


BILL NO:       SB 568                                       
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AUTHOR:        Alarcon                                      
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AMENDED:       As introduced
HEARING DATE:  April 14, 1999                               
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FISCAL:        Appropriations/Urgency                       
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CONSULTANT:                                                
Umemoto
                              

                           SUBJECT
                               
    Foundation for Learning Master Plan for Infants and  
                     Children to Age 6

                           SUMMARY  

Establishes the Foundation for Learning initiative  
requiring the Superintendent of Public Instruction to  
develop a master plan for infants and children to age 6, as  
prescribed, and review projects, make recommendations, and  
coordinate early childhood education. 

                           ABSTRACT  

Current Law:

Provides for a public and private child care and  
development service delivery system, known as the Child  
Care and Development Services Act.

Establishes the California Children and Families First Act  
of 1998, a program to promote, support, and improve early  
development for children from the prenatal stage to 5 years  
of age.

                                               Continued---



STAFF ANALYSIS OF SENATE BILL 568 (ALARCON)           Page  
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This Bill:

1.Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to: 

       develop a master plan to provide for the study,  
     encouragement, and establishment of foundations for  
     learning and school success for infants and children  
     to 6 years of age; 
       review, on or before July 1, various child care and  
     development programs and make recommendations to the  
     Legislature regarding these programs, and 
       work with California Children and Families First  
     Commission to ensure that programs administered by  
     each entity that are developmental and preparatory to,  


   or targeted toward, success in elementary education are  
     integrated and are not duplicative.

1.Renumbers the sections on early primary programs and  
  kindergarten in the Education Code to Part 6, Chapter 1,  
  Foundations for Learning.

2.Declares that it would take effect immediately as an  
  urgency statute.

                        FISCAL IMPACT  

Unknown level of support to the Department of Education to  
conduct the study and make recommendations to the  
Legislature.

                  BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION  

Numerous research support that early childhood experiences,  
particularly from birth to kindergarten, significantly  
influence cognitive, behavioral, educational, and economic  
outcomes later in life.  Five early childhood strategies  
have emerged to influence early childhood experiences.   
They are: 1) nutrition and primary health care, 2)  
preschool, 3) child development, 4) traditional day care  
programs, and 5) home visiting.

Comments:

There are several bills that propose master plans for  




STAFF ANALYSIS OF SENATE BILL 568 (ALARCON)           Page  
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either early childhood development and child care or  
preschool.  They include: SB 845 (Escutia) Child Care and  
Development Master Plan; SB 925 (Vasconcellos) Child Care  
and Development Master Plan; SB 277 (Ortiz) Universal  
Preschool Master Plan, and SB 568 (Alarcon) Foundation for  
Learning Master Plan.

                          POSITIONS  

Support:       California Association of the Education of  
Young Children
               Child Development Policy Institute (sponsor)
               National Organization for Women
               Office of Kern County Superintendent of  
          Schools

Oppose:   None at this time






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